


My Daughter's Keeper

by PinkRabbitPro



Series: Family [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-18 23:24:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9407480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkRabbitPro/pseuds/PinkRabbitPro
Summary: Eliza's thoughts in the aftermath of the attack on Cat.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This was not supposed to happen, but it did anyway. Shrug.

My Daughter’s Keeper

Eliza Danvers has never liked Cat Grant. The woman is hard, sometimes cruel, power mad, and possibly just plain old fashioned mad. The drugs and alcohol are clearly signs of self medicating and Alex’s tales of how she’s demanded Kara’s time at all hours of the day and night do not lend themselves to motherly approval.

The fact that Kara has such an awful crush from early on does nothing to alleviate her concerns.

Which makes it faintly galling when Alex calls, drugged and in pain, but eager to reassure her she’s going to be okay, to learn how the woman threw herself into the fire to protect Alex. True, it was to protect her own child as well, but to hear Alex tell the tale, she could have just hidden with the boy and left Alex on her own. Instead, Cat Grant dragged her to safety before taking on a group of armed men who would have tortured Alex for information, then either hidden her away as future collateral, or equally likely, simply killed her.

She can no longer chalk the woman’s actions up to simply saving her own skin or at best, protecting her own children as she did in the aftermath of Non’s attack via Myriad. She has to acknowledge she might just have misjudged her.

Definitely misjudged her, she decides days later when she finds herself standing in the doorway to Cat’s room in a DEO medbay. It’s night and ultra quiet for once. Kara is with the woman, half in a chair, half sprawled on the bed, sleeping for the first time in days. As Eliza watches, her adopted daughter stirs ever so slightly, whimpering in her sleep. The nightmares are nothing new and she starts forward. From experience, she knows a soothing touch and a soft word will usually ease whatever panic chases Kara through her dreams. She pulls to a halt as Cat lifts her hand and settles it on the back of Kara’s head, ruffling her hair gently.

“Shhh, it’s all right,” Cat soothes. Her movements are stiff and she makes a few tiny sounds indicating it hurts, but she leans closer all the same, her voice tender. “You’re safe.” She pets Kara’s hair gently until she settles, then collapses back into the mattress with a low groan. Her hand remains and even from a distance Eliza can see both the ugly cuts and bruises on her fingers and knuckles as well as the way she continues to gently pet Kara’s hair. Judging by the way she winces, even that small contact must hurt, but she doesn’t stop.

Soon Kara’s restlessness is a thing of the past and her breathing is slow and deep.

Cat nonetheless continues petting her hair with a gentle hand and Eliza finds herself wondering why there’s no one there for her other than the boy. She knows her mother is alive. After all, Katherine Grant, the self proclaimed “literary giant”, isn’t exactly an unknown.

Then Cat looks up, her gaze a little unfocused, but not so much so that she misses Eliza. As Eliza watches, she carefully pulls her hand back as though she’s afraid of being chased away.

It reminds Eliza of a rescue dog she and Jeremiah adopted early in their marriage. Abused as a puppy, it was snappy and wild and spent years expecting the back of her hand at the strangest times. In that moment, she thinks maybe she understands a little too well why no family has come for this woman. “I’m Eliza Danvers,” she introduces herself as she steps forward. “Kara and Alex’s mother.”

Cat nods and pulls her hand back a little farther as she darts an uncertain look at the top of Kara’s head.

Eliza feels her heart break just a little at the fear she sees in green eyes. She suddenly wants to assure the other woman she has no intention of taking anything from her, but suspects it wouldn’t be understood. Instead she whispers. “Is there anything I can do for you, anyone I can call?”

Cat frowns ever so slightly as though she doesn’t quite comprehend the question. A beat, then she shakes her head as a tiny snort escapes her lips. “No one,” she mumbles.

Eliza looks away for a moment, wanting to offer some kind of comfort and uncertain what to say. “I...I want to thank you,” she says at last, her voice creaking uncomfortably. “For what you did for Alex. I can’t thank you enough.” She brushes a hand along Kara’s shoulder. “And for the way you’ve helped Kara...supported her,” she adds seriously. Whatever her issues with this woman might have been, they’re over now. “That makes you family.” Reaching out, she curls a single finger under Cat’s palm where it hovers in mid air and guides it back to Kara. “It’s okay,” she assures the other woman as she watches her settle her palm on silky gold hair once again.

Cat swallows hard and Eliza sees the way she winces, the bobbing of her throat emphasizing the dark bruises. “Can I get you a fresh drink?” she asks. “Or something to eat.”

Green eyes watch her warily, but finally Cat nods. “A drink would be nice.”

“I think they’ve got some of those little ice cream cups in the break room. How about one of those too. Chocolate or vanilla?” Sometimes it’s easier to let the child choose the flavor, rather than ask them if they want something to eat.

Cat’s mouth twists into a wry smile, leaving Eliza with the distinct sense she’s aware of the tactic.

Of course she is. She’s a mother too, Eliza reminds herself and they share knowing looks.

Not much later, they’re sharing what may be the worst ice cream Eliza’s ever had, the kind that comes in tiny cups with a flat wooden “spoon” tucked in the lid and is slightly grainy and chewy with thickeners that have no relationship to anything even cream-like. Cat’s surprisingly quiet for a woman legendary for her temper tantrums. She touches Kara’s hair frequently, seeming to reassure herself with the small contact.

Kara, meanwhile, slumbers peacefully on.

By the time the ice cream is finished, Cat’s eyelids are fluttering and she’s visibly sagging. “Sleep now,” Eliza whispers as she stands and gently fusses with the other woman’s blankets, mothering her even though only a few years separate them. She stays close until Cat’s breathing is slow and soft, then she slips out.

She’s still in the hallway when she hears a faint whoosh, then the a soft thud.

“Thank you,” Kara says softly.

It doesn’t take a genius to realize Kara was awake the whole time.

“I know you aren’t her biggest fan,” Kara says softly.

“Wasn’t her biggest fan,” Eliza corrects. “But after what she did for Alex...” She shakes her head. There is very little the woman could do that would even annoy Eliza at this point. “She’s family now,” she whispers after a beat. “She’s earned it.”

Kara nods, and they share a hug before Kara slips back inside.

Eliza stays in the doorway for a long time, watching as Kara tenderly folds herself around Cat, holding her carefully and whispering softly to her. It leaves her feeling somehow young and old at the same time. And so very grateful for both of her children and for this strange woman who brought one of them home again.

End


End file.
